Can you film on school property?

Generally, people are allowed to film in a public forum, which is public property traditionally open to the public, like sidewalks, parks and streets. A public school can generally ask a person unaffiliated with the school to leave the campus, in which case, they would be trespassing if they refused to leave.

Can students take pictures of other students?

It’s generally not illegal to take photos of other people without consent, even in semi-private areas like a classroom, as long as it doesn’t show anything under their clothing — BUT, your local laws may vary. That applies to any legal question; some states and countries have much stricter laws.

Can a school videotape students?

The school must obtain written parent permission to videotape when the video is for a purpose other than safety or classroom instruction. If the school is going to display video on a school website or other public medium, individual students should not be identified without parental consent.

How do you get permission to film a school?

In seeking permission to film at a school, you should explain to the principal who you are and what your film is about. Explain why filming at a school is important to your project. Describe the value of filming on school property in your own words and how it will help you.

Do you need permission to film?

Generally speaking, though, when you are in public, it is legal to record someone, video record or audio record, as long as they don’t have what is called, “an expectation of privacy,” or rather a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Can you take pictures in school without parental consent?

School districts can restrict filming and photography on their grounds and the use of images without parental consent. However, some schools might not prohibit group photos if the photographer does not identify any of the children when publishing them, or photos of certain extracurricular activities such as sporting events.

What are the laws about taking pictures of children in public?

States and municipalities have the right to make their own laws regarding issues such as photographing children. School districts can restrict filming and photography on their grounds and the use of images without parental consent.

Do you need a permit to make a film?

Permitting is a much bigger and more costly process. It could bring with it some requirements from the city permitting office you don’t want to be forced to meet. And this is why so many filmmakers will just decide to avoid the permit process if they can. We’ll get to how you might do that, and if you even CAN do that in a bit.

What’s the difference between a film permit and a location release?

A film permit or location permit is very different than a location release. Even if you have a location release signed you may not have a permit. The difference is an important matter of legality. Having the owner’s permission to shoot in their store doesn’t mean you have the cities permission to park your truck in front.